There won’t be much free time until Sunday these days…
I can only guarantee one update. I feel ashamed…
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After the Yuzhen incident, Mei Qing finally gained the right to study the scriptures upstairs. Of course, after that, even if Yuzhen were in charge, she wouldn’t dare to do anything. Every time Mei Qing’s footsteps echoed on the stairs, Yuzhen would immediately identify them as belonging to that refined-looking yet terrifying scholar, and then “whoosh”—she’d vanish with her scrolls into a small room at the corner, slam the door shut, lock it tightly, and draw the curtains closed. Mei Qing often thought that if this pavilion weren’t entirely wooden, Yuzhen would probably dig a tunnel right next to it and fully implement the advanced strategy of “digging deep trenches and stockpiling ample grain.”
Fortunately, Yuzhen hadn’t studied external alchemy; otherwise, she might have developed explosives like “earth-shaking thunder bombs” or “sky-piercing cannons” and blown him into ashes.
Through persistent and extensive reading, and by frequently seeking guidance from Bi Zhen—who was a rather irresponsible lecturer—Mei Qing made remarkable progress in foundational Daoist theory. His photographic memory proved invaluable during this intensive study period. Even Bi Zhen, who prided herself on her broad knowledge of the scriptures, was astonished. A couple of days ago, while discussing a detail in the Lingbao Dunxuan, they had a disagreement. Mei Qing directly told Bi Zhen, “Please go to the second floor of the scripture pavilion, shelf Hong, rack Ding, third scroll from the right, sixth book from the top, page fifty-one—you can check it yourself.”
Bi Zhen, naturally skeptical, insisted on verifying it and immediately got up to go. Not long after, she returned, her expression dazed, clearly deeply affected. Her eyes looked at Mei Qing with a complex mix of disbelief, frustration, and slight admiration. Mei Qing maintained a composed demeanor, chatting casually to appear nonchalant, but inwardly he felt quite pleased. Although he had always possessed an extraordinary memory, he had never considered it particularly useful since he neither prepared for imperial exams nor kept accounts. Now, having saved face in front of the beautiful lecturer, he realized this ability truly had its advantages.
Unfortunately, joy often precedes sorrow. After recovering, Bi Zhen gently approached Mei Qing, gazing at him with an intense tenderness that seemed to pierce his soul. Her smile was like the surging tide of the Qiantang River on the eighteenth day of the eighth lunar month, overwhelming Mei Qing. Instantly, part of him hardened like diamond, while the rest softened like graphite, leaving him both invigorated and helpless.
Alongside his rapid theoretical progress, Mei Qing’s practical abilities also improved significantly. In fact, before this, Mei Qing was a textbook example of someone possessing great treasures without realizing it. Though his Daoist cultivation was profound, he had been completely unaware of it. Now, cross-referencing the alchemical methods passed down by Bi Zhen with his past experiences and the Daoist scriptures he had recently read, he finally gained a basic understanding of his internal condition.
After establishing a foundation, most practitioners would enter the stage of refining physical form into essence. Refining form usually refers to the forms of dragon and tiger or sun and moon. As the Danjing states, “The dragon emerges from fire,” meaning the dragon is born in the heart. It also says, “The tiger is born from water,” meaning the tiger originates in the kidneys. Therefore, this stage involves extracting from the kidneys to supplement the heart—uniting yin and yang. The Shijiu Jue method of refining form involves sun and moon imagery, with the heart representing fire above and the kidneys representing water below. The rising sun symbolizes heart fire, and the rising moon symbolizes kidney water. The interaction between sun and moon promotes the circulation and continuous strengthening of true energy until the elixir is formed after nine cycles.
In this stage of Shijiu Jue, the main techniques are “cooking, sealing, vigorous fire, and gentle fire.” However, initially, Mei Qing didn’t understand any of this and simply pushed his true energy to dissipate the purple flames. The true energy contained within the purple flames was incredibly powerful. Just by dissipating it, Mei Qing advanced rapidly, achieving a significant increase in his Daoist cultivation within a short time.
After obtaining the Shijiu Jue, he finally understood the proper path of alchemical cultivation—cultivating the sun and moon gently. Although progress wasn’t as rapid as before, it was more stable and harmonious, gradually leading him into a state of deep immersion. His internal true energy had become so dense it was nearly tangible. With this gentle cultivation method, he soon experienced sensations of his internal energy rotation slowing down more and more. If not for his constant awareness, he might not even have noticed.
Although the rotation slowed, when it came to consuming the purple flames as before, its depth and power became even more apparent. Strangely, no matter how quickly Mei Qing’s cultivation advanced, those strange purple flames remained unchanged—neither increasing nor decreasing. They always appeared at their usual time, disappeared silently after Mei Qing absorbed them completely. Mei Qing had asked Bi Zhen about this, but she had never heard of such a phenomenon. Due to the rules, Mei Qing couldn’t ask in detail or allow Bi Zhen to examine his internal state. Since there was no apparent harm and his power had increased significantly, he decided to let it be.
This period of sparring with Bi Zhen had changed. Ever since he used his homemade “Guanzhi” technique on Yuzhen, Mei Qing seemed to gain a new understanding of this Daoist method. Although he still experienced the same intense emotions when Bi Zhen used it on him, he now felt as if his mind had split into two parts. While his desires burned fiercely, he could still observe and analyze his condition as an outsider, maintaining control no matter how impulsive he felt. However, there was a downside—since that incident, Mei Qing had been unable to use this technique himself. Whenever he tried to use the same spiritual technique on Bi Zhen as before, it felt as if something blocked him. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t succeed.
“You must have secretly done something to me because you’re afraid I’ll surpass you, right?” Mei Qing had become increasingly casual with Bi Zhen. “You’re definitely not playing fair. You should give my technique back to me.”
“Mei Qing, you’re getting more and more daring to talk like that! How could I possibly interfere with you? Do you think passing this trial is just about defeating you? If that were the case, there were several times before when I didn’t snap you out of it—you might have already gone off daydreaming about flowers!” Bi Zhen replied, somewhat annoyed.
Mei Qing suddenly remembered that this was indeed true. Previously, whenever he accidentally fell into Bi Zhen’s trap, she would always either speak up or give him a hint to bring him back, maintaining a stalemate. Before he understood this method, he hadn’t been so aware of it. Now that Bi Zhen had pointed it out, he realized it was exactly as she said.
“You said this sparring was your trial, so why did you help me when you had a chance to win?” Mei Qing asked, puzzled.
Bi Zhen’s face slightly flushed as she replied, “A trial isn’t something easily overcome just by winning. Trials arise from within the heart and involve complex karmic entanglements. Can a single victory truly resolve them? If you had easily fallen to me, my trial might never end. Only by navigating the situation carefully and seeking a rare opportunity can there be a chance to pass.”
“Karma is a Buddhist concept, right? Why are we Daoists talking about karma?” Mei Qing asked, somewhat frustrated. “Besides, what kind of trial is this? If you tell me about it, maybe I can help.”
“Karma is part of the Dao of Heaven,” Bi Zhen explained. “Although Daoism traditionally doesn’t emphasize karma, that doesn’t mean karma won’t entangle you. The Quanzhen sect combines the three teachings, so we pay more attention to karma. This trial is deeply connected to karma. However, Mei Qing, you can’t help me with this—because it’s a trial of love.”
“Love trials? Why can’t I help with that? When it comes to love, who could possibly understand it better than me? Back in my day, I had flags flying everywhere…” Mei Qing was boasting when he suddenly noticed Bi Zhen blushing and realized the truth, exclaiming in shock.
Bi Zhen’s face turned slightly red as she nodded slightly and whispered, “The Guanzhi technique originates from the heart. Initially, I used it to trap you, but things didn’t go as planned. You managed to endure it, turning it into a sparring match. From there, various karmic connections were formed, and now there’s no escaping them.”
At first, Mei Qing felt a hint of disbelief mixed with secret delight. However, after hearing Bi Zhen’s explanation about karma, he felt somewhat uneasy and said unhappily, “I know my place—I’m not worthy of your attention. But if we’re talking about love, why involve karma? Are you saying that in your eyes, love is just a matter of debts and repayments, merely to settle karmic debts?”
Bi Zhen didn’t get angry. Instead, she spoke softly, “Mei Qing, you truly are a person who values emotions deeply. Although this trial is related to karma, it arises from love itself. Why do you have to get so caught up in these details?”
At first, Mei Qing felt confused, unsure why he was so reluctant to mix the concept of love with anything else. But after hearing Bi Zhen’s explanation, he gradually calmed down and said, “Then… is this trial dangerous? You’re a practitioner, so how could you get involved in a love trial?”
Bi Zhen shook her head and said, “It’s not necessarily dangerous. At our current level of cultivation, trials aren’t as perilous as they would be at higher stages. If we cannot pass this trial, our cultivation will stagnate at this level. If we can’t endure it, we might never reach the elixir stage. You yourself said that love originates in the heart—what does being a cultivator have to do with it? Even practitioners from the符箓宗 school can marry and have children. Although I follow the丹道 cultivation path, cultivating alongside a partner isn’t uncommon. As the elders described, this love trial is the most unpredictable. The methods for overcoming it differ greatly from one person to another. I’ve even heard stories of some cultivators who killed their partners to eliminate heart demons and pass such trials…”
Mei Qing was shocked and exclaimed, “Does that mean you have to…?”
Bi Zhen chuckled and said, “Who said I was going to kill you? I just heard about that method. There are countless trials, each different. To pass this trial, I will need your help. As for the exact opportunity, we’ll have to work together to find it.”
Mei Qing nodded, suddenly realizing something and said, “Wait a minute, this doesn’t seem right. I’m a man with a family already. How can you say this love trial is connected to me, and I just have to agree to something? Our emotional foundation isn’t solid, and we don’t know each other that well. How can such a serious matter be treated so lightly? I feel like I’m being taken advantage of, as if you’ve trapped me with just a few words.” He finished with a mischievous smile at Bi Zhen.
Bi Zhen smiled and said, “Mei Qing, you’re right. I’m just saying that my emotions are tied to you, and my trial is tied to you. I’m inviting you to face this trial together. Would you be willing?”
Mei Qing’s smile froze slightly as he asked, “I’m a bit confused. Bi Zhen, are you serious or just teasing me? Why are you making it sound so mysterious?”
Bi Zhen sighed softly and said, “Mei Qing, I’m telling you this today because I have no choice. Trials shouldn’t be spoken of directly; the more you reveal your intentions, the more entangled they become. These past few days, I’ve been hesitating and thinking about it repeatedly. Finally, I’m convinced that my heart truly wishes to face this trial with you, so I decided to speak openly. In my view, if we become partners because of love, this trial will naturally fade away. If our love hasn’t matured and we remain strangers, this trial will still be resolved eventually. But no matter what, we must hold on to one thing—’sincerity.’ If either of us hasn’t yet clarified our true feelings, there’s no need to worry. Just wait until the clouds part and the sun shines through, and everything will become clear.”
At this point, Mei Qing finally understood Bi Zhen’s meaning. It seemed that Bi Zhen’s recent actions, her deepening entanglement with him, and the Guanzhi technique not only affected others but also herself. Combined with his half-baked methods, the result was that Bi Zhen had become ensnared, her heart demons stirring, ultimately leading to this love trial. Bi Zhen realized that with her own strength alone, she could never escape, so she decided to speak openly to him.
Understanding this, Mei Qing felt a slight resentment, but then he realized that his resentment was groundless. Bi Zhen had clearly stated that passing this trial required sincerity. If he didn’t like her, he should clearly reject her, and this trial wouldn’t involve him. But if he did like her, then this trial was naturally meant for him, and he had no reason to blame her. In this sense, the word “karma” that Bi Zhen mentioned wasn’t without reason.
Bi Zhen lowered her head and spoke softly, “Although you already have a family, I am a cultivator, and I’ve already severed the red dragon. If I were to manage your household and bear children for you, it would be difficult for me. But as cultivation partners, our fates are intertwined more deeply than ordinary couples. Dragging you into this trial is truly unfair to you. However, in my sect, a cultivation partner is chosen only once, and there’s no second chance. No matter what happens between us in the future, my feelings for you will never change.”
Mei Qing smiled and said, “What trial, what karma—I don’t care about any of that. If Bi Zhen ties her heart to me, I’ll tie my heart to her. Let’s see what trial or karma we can’t overcome together.” With that, he took Bi Zhen’s hand and smiled gently at her.
Unexpectedly, the Guanzhi technique that he had been unable to use for so long suddenly activated naturally. Upon hearing Mei Qing’s words, feeling her delicate hand in his and seeing his bright eyes, Bi Zhen felt waves of affection flooding toward her. She could no longer resist and instantly became disoriented and weak, collapsing into his arms like a soft cloud, her breathing quick and delicate, which startled Mei Qing.
“You… bad guy, taking advantage of me like that. Don’t you dare let go of me,” Bi Zhen murmured into Mei Qing’s chest, feigning anger.
“My immortal master, you were the one who threw yourself into my arms, remember? Besides, if I let go, won’t you just fall to the ground?” Mei Qing replied confidently.
After a long while, Bi Zhen finally caught her breath and quickly pushed Mei Qing away, giving him a fierce glare.
“Ouch!” Mei Qing cried out dramatically, pretending to be overwhelmed. He staggered toward Bi Zhen, still shouting, “Master, that flirtatious glance of yours—your Guanzhi technique is truly amazing! I can’t resist it. I surrender, I surrender!”
“Die!” Bi Zhen laughed as she blocked Mei Qing’s playful hands, saying, “Surrender? I’ve never been afraid of killing all surrendering prisoners. If you dare to surrender, I’ll show you no mercy!”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage